Echo
by xTheGirlOnFirex
Summary: When Dave finds his Bro dead he decided he won't play by everyone elses rules anymore! He decided to take this into his own hands and use his power over time to head back as far as he can but ends up in an odd situation.
1. Chapter 1

_Hello, this is a first of a few things; my first HS fanfic and my first Strider fanfic so please excuse any OOC moments and such. This story has not been looked over by anyone and I don't normally go back and reread what I write so please forgive the typo's and spelling errors! Please enjoy and if you have any input, I am always up for some critic as long as it is kind and helpful._

_ Echo_

Dave stood staring down at his Bro, sprawled out on the ground –bloodied and broken- his sword spearing his chest; no more breaths to lift and fall…just the stillness that was his body. The young Strider wasn't sure exactly what to do now; he and his Bro had always had a very strange relationship but deep down he had always cared about him. Dave had always looked up to him, chased after him and walked happily in his shadow, mimicking him in every way but now he is gone and all that is left is the cold corpse of the man he once admired so much.

Nothing could really calm the unsettling feeling that seemed to be eating away at him, slowly swallowing him up but Dave couldn't exactly figure out what it was. Standing there as he stared down at his brother his shades gave a low note, letting him know someone was pestering him. It was Terezi but Dave was still to unsettled at the moment to even enjoy talking with her, now aggravated he runs at the sword in a cool guy manor and ironically jumps at it, feet hitting the handle before it sprung him back and then hitting the ground with a hard thud.

Dave now lying flat on his face with his shades a short reach away just laid still. Suddenly it hit him what was wrong…Dave loved his brother more than he though, more than just admiring him and he couldn't stand the thought of not being able to Strife on the roof or tear out some wicked sick beats with him anymore…Dave wouldn't be Dave without Bro…so what could he do now? He dared so sneak a glance over at him, his dead eyes staring vacantly away towards him; Dave just couldn't think straight, nothing seemed right! He was so mad at everything!

He was mad at Jack for killing his brother, at Bro for even letting himself get killed, at himself for no damn reason! Everything just made him so mad an- wait…what is that?

Dave reached a hand up to his eyes and whipped at them, pulling it away to look at it…seeing what he now would assume to be tears. Striders don't cry. They can't. No, they don't. As much as he tried to tell him it was something else, hell it could be rain for all he cared, he knew on some level that it was tears...that he was mourning the loss of the one person he was really close to.

"Really Bro," He called over to him. "You choose now of all times to get yourself fucking killed?" His voice was quite but still it didn't weaver, he wouldn't go as far as to let anyone hear that. Dave had to find a way to just put this behind him but for now he wanted to stay where he was and be left alone; even though the blind troll girl repeatedly sent him messages, he would not answer them for the time being.

The world would be shut out until he could think of what to do and hopefully…that wouldn't take too long.

He hadn't noticed that he had let the world slip by for so long; when you are trapped in a twisted game like this, you tend to lose track of the time…or week for that matter. Finally he sat up, donning on his shades once again and pushed himself to stand up; Dave was finally ready to do something but was it really the best choice at this point in time? He gave an 'I don't give a fuck' smirk before and looked over at the dead man across from him.

"Don't worry Bro," He mused. "I won't let it go down like this…or at least, not how JACKass think's it will go." His statement ending with a small hiss of annoyance as he turned his back to the body; now ready to kick his plan into motion. He was just one Dave, there are so many running around and sometimes even he couldn't tell exactly which branch or timeline he came from…so what did it matter if he messed around some before going back to being serious and possibly dead?


	2. Chapter 2

**_Hello, this is a first of a few things; my first HS fanfic and my first Strider fanfic so please excuse any OOC moments and such. This story has not been looked over by anyone and I don't normally go back and reread what I write so please forgive the typo's and spelling errors! Please enjoy and if you have any input, I am always up for some critic as long as it is kind and helpful. -_**

_ ** Echo**_

Dave's thought process was slightly off after seeing his Bro there dead, casting another glance over to him he couldn't help but try and smile, just a small one. "Don't worry, I won't mess up our past…this will just be so I can see you one last time, that way I can say a silent goodbye Bro." Dave knew that he Bro-if alive- would probably disapprove of this for one reason or another but he felt as if he had to; as if saying goodbye to a lifeless body wouldn't ever be enough to calm the uneasiness that still closed in on him.

Of course he planned to come back soon, he had to help kill of the son of a bitch that did this but he could stand to take some time, seeing as how that's all he really had anyways.

Before anyone was wise to what he was doing he had already done it. Terezi had been furiously typing at him for ignoring her for the most part but for some reason her noise seemed to go silent now; nothing to be seen for the moment at least. Perhaps she was distracted? Trolls are hard to understand sometimes, between the randomness of everything then do to the way they speak it was all just odd…not to mention those Quadrant's they speak of.

He let his shades slide down the bridge of his nose enough so he could get a better look around; this was their town…their home. The blazing heat that could be hell for all he cared but he had missed it, being in this place slightly relaxed him in fact since the last time was here was prior to all this Sburb crap he and his friends are now involved with.

A thought struck him though, this seemed further back that he had even wanted to go…a lot further back. The city was different in small ways that seemed to be odd. Walking around he now say different stores, like a random record shop he didn't recall or a gas station that had been something else when he lived here….how far had he even gone back?

He decided to shrug it off and head home.

The apartment was quite for once and seemed to have far less plush Smuppet ass and crappy swords everywhere that he remembered but maybe that was a good thing, he didn't want to have to go through all that shit again when he had just come by to steal a look around and leave. Sneaking around his own house felt more than awkward, at least more so than usual.

Dave took a peak into his Bro's room but was taken back when he saw a young man, slightly older than himself, sitting there on the freaking old PC that he knew so well. His blonde hair was styled upwards and he wore the same pointed shades his Bro did but he couldn't possibly be…oh shit.

Face palm; that was all Dave could do. He really_ had_ gone back to far and this person here was his Bro but a much _younger_ version of him. Dave was to distracted to notice that the other teen had heard his face-smacking and turned to see him. "

"Dude…who the hell are you?" Called a voice that sent chills down Dave's spine…well fuck, maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: _Hello everyone, I am very sorry that it has been awhile since my last update. I have been busy with some irl stuff but right now I have some free time and went at trying to trying more! I made sure this was longer than the other ones_** **_to make up for leaving you hanging for a bit! ;D I hope you all enjoy it and hopefully its not to OOC for them oooor stupid. Reviews would be adored but no one has to. ;w; 3 _**

_ Echo_

Dave's brain kicked into over-gear as he tried to think of some kind of logical excuse as to why the hell he was in in this poor fucks house but nothing really came to mind. He began to feel an ache growing in his stomach, quickly it began to clench tight into a nervous ball of 'what the hell do I do now, omgthiswassostupidIamanidiot!' His palms began to sweat and hand shake so he shoved them in his pockets as if trying to look cool.

"Hey, answer me already before I decided to kick your ass for entering my home without asking!" Dave could tell there was a deathly glare behind those shades; he knew his Bro way too much and can tell even what the slightest moments in his expression meant. Finally he heaved a heavy sigh and cast a glance at him.

"You wouldn't believe me even if I told you Bro, you really wouldn't." His voice was smooth but still his heart raced, he wasn't about to let his Bro-regardless of whether he was actually his Bro in this time or not- see him emotional…that is not the Strider way. For a moment he could see the other boys face `tense a bit more as if he was thinking this over, then smooth over. "Explain."

The command was short and simple but it still held power over him, years of being told what the hell to do sure does have a funny effect like that, you know?

"Well, sooner or later in your life you find this mysterious baby- a handsome baby at that- that fell from the sky and stuff that kinda fucks up your favorite record store. You take it in; raise it and thus making this awesome son of a gun standing before you. Oh, let me just add this to it to, I have weird time traveling abilities due to this freakish game destroying our fucking lives as we go along. Mostly mine, since you…" He stopped, his gaze drops to the ground.

For a moment there is just deafening silence and the sound of the other boy leaning back in his chair, running a hand through his styled hair. "Well damn…" Bro breathed with a small laugh. "How am I supposed to even reply something like that?" Dave's eyes flickered up to his face, trying to get an idea of what Bro was thinking. "Yeah well, I am a Strider man, we are the best and all so going through time isn't really a big deal." Dave said nonchalantly, balling his fists up a bit as the tight ball in his stomach gave another lurch.

Bro had taken off his shades and rubbed around his temples. "Ain't that the truth Lil man." And another chocking lurch forward. Dave was starting to hope that maybe he did believe him but he didn't want to get his hopes up…but when Bro looked at him, his orange eyes staring right through to his soul he knew that he did.

"So when did you come back here then, to this time and in my…our…the apartment?" Dave let his cool facade slip enough to let a relived smile cross his lips. "Does it matter?" But it seemed it did. Bro was smarter than Dave had hoped for at this age. His eyes grew dark with a threat of 'tell me or I will kick your ass into next week.' Bro had always been able to tell when he was lying, since he had taught him how to keep his cool he could always seem what signs were Dave's of telling the truth, saying lies, when he was sad or hurt or angry…Dave never really understood why he paid so close attention but it seems that even now he could tell easily when people were avoiding something.

"I wanted to see you again…one last time." He tried to keep his voice steady but he found it to be so difficult, something he hadn't really experience before and it annoyed the hell out of him. "You were a dumbass and got yourself fucking killed…I found you but not in time to even say a fucking goodbye!" A cool tone rose into a furious flame. "You…you were already gone by time I got there to see your body." And back down to a deep dark pain. Dave closed his eyes against the memories, the pain, hoping to keep it all at bay.

Yeah, good job Dave you have done the one thing a Strider never does. Good job fuckass, you lost your cool right in front of the guy who always taught you never to let anyone see you weak! But as he waited for him to tell him to stop being a wuss he noticed that no words came, nothing to say that him are just being emotional and that he need to get over it…nothing. He opened them again, staring through the dark frames of his Shades and saw his Bro's eyes trained on him with a new emotion in them or at least one he hadn't seen for a long time.

"I'm Sorry." He said quietly as a whisper, his frown saturated with regret. "I had to have a reason though, right? I always do shit with a good reason behind it." Dave couldn't help but to snort at a funny though. "Oh, like shoving plush rump in my face all the damn time?"

Bro gave a small chuckle. "So I still make these things then? You know, that are awesome as hell no matter what anyone says!" But even with the light banter, the darkness still loomed at bay. "But, I know you were trying to help but I…" Dave's shoulders sagged a bit.

"I just wish I could have helped you or at least said goodbye first." Dave pulled off his shades and places them on top of his head, his red eyes locking with the orange ones staring at him. "I know this is a lot to have dumped on you and I didn't mean to even really meet you, just see you for a second and leave but you kinda heard-"

"You face palm? Yeah, next time don't do that if you are trying to sneak around someone's house."

"Yeah, good note for next time I pedo around some young things house for ironic purposes." This time his Bro snorted. "Yeah, I can totally see you doing that somehow!" Dave felt the tension release slowly; he had seen him and told him everything that he couldn't tell anyone else, shared what no one should ever know but him.

Before he knew it his cheeks felt wet! His hand flew up to feel it, to dry them before the other boy took notice but it was too late. Bro had made his way over to Dave and looked down at him, god how much Dave hated being shorter. "Don't," He spoke gently, trying not to upset the red-eyed boy more.

"You can relax since you are here with me right now, right? Just for a little bit?" He reacted cautiously to pull Dave into a awkward hug, neither of them used to sharing their feelings or an embrace…this was warm and nice but also one of the more freakish things Dave had hoped to never have experience but then again…he wasn't covered in Smuppet ass while this was happening, so maybe it wasn't as bad as he had imagined it would be.


	4. Chapter 4

**___Hello, this is a first of a few things; my first HS fanfic and my first Strider fanfic so please excuse any OOC moments and such. This story has not been looked over by anyone and I don't normally go back and reread what I write so please forgive the typo's and spelling errors! Please enjoy and if you have any input, I am always up for some critic as long as it is kind and helpful._**

**___Also, sorry this update is short and crappy ;w; writers block strikes again!  
_**

_Echo_

Dave didn't want to relax; he didn't want to be able to have a normal moment and then have to go back to the hell that awaits him back in the game. He shook his head, taking a step back from the other boy and wiped at his eyes. "No it's probably best if I don't since it would be hard to go back into survival mode again." But it was more than that; the red eyed boy didn't want a moment with his bro, something he wouldn't ever be able to have again…

His heart broke as he started at him, taking in the younger version of the man he knew so well. Even if they weren't really brothers, he had always felt that he was the one person he could always call family…the one person that would always be there for him and he had been. Bro had always been a constant in his life; anything from Strifing to trying to get him to sew smuppets with him. Dave never really could place his finger on what the feeling was but it was more than sibling affection.

He knew it wasn't normal and he wasn't about to scream about his feelings at the top of his lungs but being this close to him again, regardless of what age or part of his life he was in, made it hard not to…this was still the person Dave had come to look up to, to care for, to…love?

Yes, that was the right word. There it was.

Shaking himself out of his thoughts he smiled halfheartedly and pulled his shades back over his eyes. "Bout time I get going I guess." But that seemed to make Bro unhappy. "But so soon though?" There was something there, something laying under the usual cool even tone…it's pleading. Bro wanted him to stay, to learn more about him and everything going on…to learn more about their life together up until he died and even more so to comfort Dave.

He didn't understand it yet but even now he had an urge to protect to, to make him feel safe. Bro leaned closer, grabbing Daves wrist and tugging him forward. "Just stay a bit longer, please?" All this niceness that Dave saw in Bro was rather strange for him; hell it even felt a little like the Twilight Zone! "I shouldn't…" He began but his voice trailed off.

As much as he knew he didn't want to stay, as much as he wanted to keep his cool facade up….it was beginning to crumble, just the warmth from his hand circled around his wrist was enough to chip away at his resolve. "Just a little longer…" He commanded his face close enough that Dave could feel his breath against his skin.

Damn, that was that. Once again his brother beat him out and he isn't even his brother yet!

"Fine…" He sighed, Bro smirking in victory as he let go of his wrist.

"Hey," The taller boy called out to him. "You never told me your name you know…at least I don't think you did." Dave was surprised that he hadn't really, it seemed like something he would have done right off the bat but apparently his brain decided to be stupid and not work today. "It's Dave, but what can I call you?"

"What, did I never tell you my name before; well…I guess you wouldn't need to know it if I was your way older bro…Dirk, call me Dirk."


	5. Chapter 5

This story is now being uploaded on Ao3, please ask for my user name there if you would like to see more as well as new/other stories. Thank you~


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